


The Last Betrayal

by xtremeroswellian



Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Lionel Luthor is a dick, Manipulation, Mental Abuse, Mindfuck, Nightmares, No happy ending here, Nonsensual Touching, Sam and Chloe would have been best friends, Seriously Dark, Sexual Assault, Suicide Attempt, Torture, Twisted, lex luthor is a dick, self injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:06:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23895784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: He walked confidently down the long, darkened corridor, his footsteps echoing off the steel-enforced walls and short ceiling. A smirk playing across his lips, he nodded at the guards in front of Room 227.“Mr. Luthor,” one said politely, gripping his rifle and stepping aside for the other guard to unlock the door.Lex stepped inside the room, his eyes immediately drawn to the sight of the petite blonde girl curled up on the bed, faced away from him. “I trust your accommodations are comfortable.”
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Clark Kent, Chloe Sullivan & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

He walked confidently down the long, darkened corridor, his footsteps echoing off the steel-enforced walls and short ceiling. A smirk playing across his lips, he nodded at the guards in front of Room 227.

“Mr. Luthor,” one said politely, gripping his rifle and stepping aside for the other guard to unlock the door.

Lex stepped inside the room, his eyes immediately drawn to the sight of the petite blonde girl curled up on the bed, faced away from him. “I trust your accommodations are comfortable.”

She didn’t move or respond, simply stared at the wall, her body tense.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. If you accept my offer, everything could be different for you.” He leaned against the doorway. He heard her mumble something under her breath and he strained to hear. “What was that?”

“I said fuck you,” she whispered harshly.

His smirk widened. “That’s the idea, Chloe.”

“I’d rather spend the rest of my life locked up then let you touch me.”

Lex sighed softly. “You know, one day I’m going to get tired of waiting.”

She didn’t respond.

“Think about it.” He smiled faintly, then turned and left her alone in the room once more.

As he walked down the corridor once more, ignoring the screams and cries for help, his smile grew. It had only been a few weeks. He’d break her yet. It was only a matter of time.


	2. Chapter 2

“So who’s this chick who’s supposed to help us?” Dean asked, glancing at his brother sideways as he steered the Impala onto the main street of Smallville, Kansas. Main Street hadn’t been hard to find, considering it was the only street that led to downtown Smallville, which consisted of a coffeehouse called the Talon, a grocery store, a post office, and a couple of empty buildings.

What a thrill, he thought, rolling his eyes.

“Her name’s Chloe Sullivan,” Sam responded, not looking up from his laptop.

“And how is she gonna help?”

He sighed and shook his head with slight annoyance. “Her name came up in more than two dozen articles on the weird things that go on around this place. Apparently she’s the town’s resident expert on weirdness.”

“My kind of chick. She hot?” Dean asked with a smirk.

Sam rolled his eyes. “Upstairs brain, Dean. Upstairs brain.”

Parking his beloved vehicle in front of the Talon, he leaned back in the seat. “This town’s small. Hard to believe supernatural things happen here that often.”

“Yeah, well. Looks can be deceiving,” Sam replied, looking out the window and up at the gray sky. A storm was moving in. “Besides, this isn’t our normal brand of supernatural.”

Frowning, Dean glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“Apparently there’ve been two meteor showers in this town since 1987. And each time, a number of residents have become infected by the meteor rocks.”

“Infected?”

“According to some of Chloe’s articles, it seems that the rocks give people certain…abilities that they didn’t have before.”

His eyes narrowed a little. “Are we talking psychic abilities?”

“Some of them, yeah. It’s different for everyone. Some people have become mind readers, some have developed things like super speed or shape-shifting…”

“Shape shifting. Terrific,” Dean grumbled.

Sam smiled a little. “Well, look at this way. There’s probably enough strangeness in this town to last us awhile.”

“Yeah, well. Hopefully this Chloe chick is hot.” He reached for the door handle and climbed out of the car, stretching his muscles before heading toward the entrance of the Talon, Sam following close behind.

Immediately heading for the counter to order a cup of coffee, he flashed a charming smile at the brunette working the register. “Hey there.”

She offered him a smile in return and he took a moment to admire the low neckline of her shirt. “Hey yourself.”

“You lived here long?” he asked casually.

“Three years. Far too long if you ask me,” she responded with a smirk.

“Three years, huh? Maybe you can help me. Me and my brother are looking for someone.”

“Who isn’t?“ she responded. “I’m Lois Lane.”

“I’m Dean, this is my brother Sam.” He nodded toward his little brother, who offered Lois a warm, shy smile.

“So who are you looking for?” she asked with raised eyebrows.

“We’re looking for someone named Chloe Sullivan.”

Lois’s eyes narrowed, her shoulders tensing. “Oh yeah?”

Sensing her shift in mood, Dean looked at Sam with raised eyebrows. “You know her?”

“She’s my cousin,” Lois informed him, looking at both of them suspiciously.

“Well, we’re new in town. Tourists, you could say. We’ve read some of her articles on this town and the strange things that go on. We were hoping we could talk to her.”

“Well, you’re out of luck. Chloe doesn’t live here anymore,” Lois said, still tense.

“Oh. Well, where does she live? Maybe we could--”

“Look. I don’t know who you are or what you really want with my cousin. But she left town six weeks ago and no one’s heard from her since. Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.” Her tone was clipped.

“Right. Sorry to bother you,” Sam said quickly, picking up their coffees and all but dragging Dean to a table in the corner of the Talon.

“Well, that was awkward.”

Sam sighed softly and looked around. “No kidding. I’m guessing she didn’t leave town on very good terms with her cousin.” He glanced up at the counter again.

“Yeah, well when a relative picks up and takes off and isn’t heard from for weeks, things tend to be a little tense,” Dean responded without thinking.

Sam flinched and took a drink of his latte. “Right,” he murmured.

Dean glanced at him. “Don’t take everything so personally. I’m just saying.”

“Yeah. I know.” He let out a breath. “All right, so obviously we’re on our own with this one.”

“Not necessarily. Didn’t you say there was another person mentioned in a bunch of those articles?”

“Oh, right. Uh…” He quickly pulled some papers out of his bag and set them on the table. “Kent. Clark Kent. Seems to be the local town hero.”

“Which probably means he’s behind all the weirdness,” Dean retorted.

Sam just rolled his eyes. “All right, so it’s just a matter of tracking down this Clark Kent and finding out what he knows.”

“Assuming he hasn’t left town, too.”

“Well, if he has, we’ll just find some other way.”

“We always do,” Dean said grimly.


	3. Chapter 3

She covered her ears to block out the sound of the high-pitched shrieking. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she looked around in horror. There was blood everywhere--the floor, the walls, the ceiling. There were splatters of it on her clothes, in her hair.

Tears streaked down her cheeks as she found herself staring down at Lois’s lifeless body in a heap on the floor.

The shrieking began again, louder this time and she looked up at the monster that stood a few feet away, baring its teeth and claws.

“You see what you’re doing?”

She turned to see Lex a few feet away. He was holding a hand to his bleeding face where the monster had clawed him.

“You’ve already killed your own cousin!”

A whimper escaped her and she turned to look at the thing again, taking a step backwards. “I don’t know how to stop it!”

“That’s because you can’t! You’re out of control, Chloe!” he shouted at her. “Don’t you understand? You’re going to destroy everyone around you!”

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head as another tear trickled down her cheek.

“Everything you touch, every person near you is in danger. Lana, Clark, your father, Mrs. Kent--”

“No!” She buried her face in her hands.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. I can help you.” He placed a hand on her arm. “Let me help you. Let me save you--save all of us--from you.”

* * *

She woke up with a frightened start, beads of sweat on her forehead. She wasn’t alone in the small room.

“Unpleasant dreams, Miss Sullivan?” Lionel Luthor lifted an eyebrow, gazing at her intently from where he stood leaning against the door.

“What do you want?” she whispered, her heart beat growing faster.

“The same thing I’ve wanted since you came here.”

“No,” she said flatly, pulling her knees to her chest.

“Miss Sullivan. You can’t possibly think there’s another way out of here for you.”

“I won’t do it.” She buried her face against her knees.

“You’re assuming you’re going to have a choice.” He moved closer to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it.

Chloe swallowed hard, not moving or looking up at him. Go away, she thought desperately.

“We’ve been patient with you, all things considered.” His voice was almost soothing, but she knew better than anyone that Lionel Luthor cared about comforting no one. Especially not her. “It really wouldn’t be so terrible. Lex is an attractive man.”

“Your son is the spawn of Satan,” she said hatefully.

“Your child would be incredibly powerful. Between your abilities and Lex’s genius and his immunity to disease--”

“He or she could what? Destroy the world?” Chloe glared at him. “You can keep me in here for as long as you want. I’ll never agree to be your son‘s whore!”

The sharp, stinging slap against her face made tears prickle at her eyes and she lifted a hand to her cheek. Swallowing hard, she glared at him again, defiantly.

“I’m through being patient, Miss Sullivan.” Lionel’s voice was deadly serious and he rose to his feet, heading for the door.

Trembling involuntarily as he slammed the steel door behind him with a resounding thud, she buried her face against her knees once more. Her time was running out.

She needed a plan.

* * *

Clark Kent wiped his brow with the shirt of his sleeve as he headed into his barn to get out of the rain for awhile. In the distance, he heard an unfamiliar car on the road heading toward his house. His eyebrows furrowing, he folded his arms across his chest and waited.

Sure enough only moments later a classic black Chevy Impala rolled into the driveway. Feeling uneasy, Clark watched two men who looked older than him climb out. The taller one gave a small wave with one hand, the older, shorter one, nodded slightly.

“What can I do for you?” Clark asked as they approached.

“Are you Clark Kent?” the taller one questioned uncertainly.

“Yeah, that’s me. Who are you?”

“Sam Winchester. This is my brother Dean.” He held his hand out and Clark shook it, looking between the men.

“Nice to meet you.” He waited, sensing something was up with these two that wasn’t quite normal.

“Likewise. Listen, we read some articles online written by a woman named Chloe Sullivan,” Sam began.

Clark’s eyes narrowed.

“We’re passing through town and just…got curious about some of the things she’d written about.”

“You know what they say about curiosity,” Clark responded grimly.

“Well, then I guess it’s a good thing we’re not cats,” Dean said with a smirk.

“You could say we’re just…curious tourists,” Sam said with a small smile. “We’re sort of into researching odd occurrences. I guess it’s a little…side hobby.”

“Right. And we knew we were going to be going through the meteor capital of the world, so…”

“You looked up odd occurrences near Smallville,” Clark finished.

“Exactly. And Chloe’s name and your name came up in several articles, so we just thought--”

“Chloe left town a few weeks ago.”

“Yeah, we found that out from some woman named Lois at the Talon,” Dean admitted. “We found you through the phonebook. The only Kent Farm in town.”

“All right. What do you wanna know?” They seemed harmless enough.

Dean and Sam exchanged a look.

“What do you know about Lex Luthor?”

Clark’s eyes darkened. “How much time do you have?”

* * *

Chloe’s heart pounded in her chest as she tugged on the loosened bar of the metal headboard. She bit down hard on her lip as she braced her feet against it. She wished she had Clark’s super strength.

Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she yanked hard, falling backwards on the bed as the bar came loose.

A wave of relief washed over her.

Finally something was going right. Swallowing hard, she looked toward the door. No one was coming.

She stared down at the sharp edge of the rusted, metallic bar, tears blurring her eyes.

Never in a million years would she have thought she’d be at this particular crossroads. Then again, she never imagined she’d turn out to be a meteor freak or that she’d be at the mercy of the Luthor’s again, either.

You can do this, she thought, steeling her nerves as she lowered the sharp edge to her wrist. It wasn’t the most ideal way, nor was it the quickest, but it was the only way she had at the moment.

Her only hope of escape.

Biting down hard on her lip, she pressed the metal against her tender flesh and yanked downwards, a soft, pained cry escaping her as a line of blood appeared, oozing down her arm.

Wincing, she quickly slashed her other wrist as well, as deeply as she could, a sob escaping her. More blood splashed down onto her shirt, staining it with dark red splotches.

She prayed for a quick end.


	4. Chapter 4

It was so cold she couldn’t breathe.

As she struggled between that thin veil between consciousness and sleep, she shivered violently, her teeth chattering.

Clark, she thought desperately, tears freezing on her face as she lay in a heap in the snow and ice beyond his fortress. Clark, help me.

“Do it again,” a muffled but familiar voice said with cool disdain.

“But Sir--”

“Do it again.”

And suddenly water was filling up her lungs and she was choking, drowning. The frigid liquid tore at her delicate skin painfully and trying to scream was but an instinctual reaction. More water rushed into her mouth and throat, making her gag.

And suddenly she was pulled up out of the water and she sputtered violently, throwing up water as she sobbed and tried to regain the ability to breathe.

She was held upright, her arms pulled tightly behind her by a strong, firm grip.

“She’s awake, Sir.”

The dizziness didn’t stop her from opening her eyes to see Lex Luthor standing a few feet away, looking displeased. She swayed on her feet, still shivering from cold. Her gaze shifted to the tub filled with ice water beside where she stood, her skin and hair dripping wet as she stood naked before Lex and a guard whose name she didn’t know. Nausea washed over her.

“Chloe, I’m surprised at you. I never imagined you for the type to attempt suicide.” Lex cocked his head to one side, staring at her intently.

She opened her mouth to respond, but she was too cold to speak.

“If James had found you an hour later, you would have succeeded. What were you thinking?” He shook his head as though disapproving, like she was a small child who’d been caught stealing the last cookie or cheating on a math test.

Chloe shivered, her teeth still chattering even though she willed them to stop. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, unable to feel the bandages that wound around her wrists.

Lex moved toward her, reaching out and touching her cheek.

She jerked away from him violently, opening her eyes and giving him the most hateful glare she could muster.

He simply smirked, his eyes slowly sweeping over her naked body with interest. “Well, you’re not as pretty as Lana, but you have larger breasts. And look how aroused you are.” He reached out and flicked a thumb over one of her nipples.

She struggled uselessly against the guard who held her in place and without thinking, she kicked Lex as hard as she could in the shin.

A grunt of surprised pain escaped him and when he recovered he backhanded her hard across the face. Blood trickled out of her nose. “You’re going to have to learn some obedience, Chloe. You’re a guest here.”

“I’m a prisoner,” she said, her voice strained. “Don’t confuse the two, Lex.”

Lex smirked again sliding a hand down against her stomach and laying his palm flat against her abdomen.

She shuddered involuntarily against his touch, trying to shrink away.

“I saved your life from my father when he wanted you dead. Shouldn’t you be more grateful?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“And I saved your life when you were injected with meteor-rock smack. I wish I’d left you for dead,” she responded.

Lex sighed and lifted his hand to her cheek. “Take her to her new room. And make sure she can‘t harm herself.” He gave the guard a look.

“Yes, Sir.” James pulled her away from Lex and out the door of the small room, leading her down the corridor as she stumbled in an attempt to keep up. He slowed down and looked at her with something akin to guilt and sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry about this, Lady.” He hesitated a moment, then picked her up, carrying her the rest of the way to another small room.

There was a single gurney in the room, and it was bolted into place on the floor. The walls and floors were padded. He laid her down on the gurney as she winced and shivered, too weak to try and get up.

“I’m sorry,” he said again as he gazed down at her for a moment, then secured her arms and legs in straps to hold her in place. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and she squeezed them shut tightly. She felt a soft sheet cover her a moment later and she swallowed hard, looking up at him.

“Please. You can help me,” she whispered.

“I wish that was true.” He looked down at the floor. “I’ll find another blanket for you.” He headed for the door.

“Please! Please don’t leave me here!”

But her cries fell upon deaf ears as the door swung shut behind him, leaving her alone in the small room.

Chloe wept.

* * *

“Sounds like this Lex Luthor is one twisted son of a bitch.” Dean looked across the kitchen table at his brother.

“He didn’t use to be.” Clark’s voice was quiet and he looked down at the table.

Sam shifted uncomfortably. “So what made him change?” He didn’t meet his brother’s gaze, instead choosing to focus on Clark.

He drew in a breath. “I don’t know, really. I guess some people are just destined to be evil.”

“That’s a load of crap. People choose their own destinies,” Dean responded, straightening in his chair and shooting Sam a look.

“Maybe,” Clark said doubtfully. “But living here for awhile makes you jaded.”

The Winchester brothers fell silent for a moment.

Then, Sam leaned forward a little, looking at him curiously. “So why did your friend leave town?”

He was silent for a few seconds, his face hard to read. “She said she needed a change of pace. I guess after years of dealing with monsters, she needed to clear her head.”

“Yeah,” Sam murmured. “I get that.”

Dean’s jaw tensed, but he remained silent.

“Lois said no one had heard from her in awhile.” He looked at Clark with concerned eyes.

Clark drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “That’s…not exactly true. I got an email from her yesterday. She apologized for leaving town the way she did, but said she didn’t plan on coming back anytime soon.”

“You’re worried.” Dean gazed at him.

“Chloe and I have been best friends since she moved here in eighth grade. I have no idea where she is and...I don’t know. This just isn’t like her,” he admitted, worry tingeing his voice. “I mean, she didn’t even say goodbye in person.”

“You think she might be in some kind of trouble?” Sam asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he shifted his gaze to his brother.

“Chloe’s always in some kind of trouble. It’s her middle name,” he said wryly, standing up. He looked between the brothers. “Sorry to be abrupt but I really do need to get back to my chores. There’s a lot to be done.”

“Right, of course.” Sam quickly rose to his feet and extended his hand. “Well, thanks for taking the time to feed our curiosity.”

Clark smiled faintly. “You guys gonna be in town for awhile?”

Dean looked at Sam and shrugged. “Probably til tomorrow.”

“You should come back and have dinner with us. I’m sure my mother would love to meet you.”

“That’s a really nice offer. Maybe some other time. Thanks again.” Sam nodded at him and let Dean lead the way toward the front door.

“So I guess this is a bust,” Dean grumbled as they headed toward the Impala.

“Yeah. Darn. It’s too bad there’s not some monster wreaking havoc on the farmers of Smallville,” Sam said wryly, shooting him a look.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Dude, you know what I mean.”

“Let’s go find a hotel. I’m beat.”

“Yeah. Yeah, all right.” Letting out a breath, Dean looked out over the fields and sighed inwardly. He couldn’t place it, but something felt off somehow.

* * *

“Time to wake up, Miss Sullivan.”

Chloe groaned, trying to bury her face against the mattress on the gurney, keeping her eyes shut against the voice.

“Now, now.”

She felt a painful tapping against her cheek and winced involuntarily. “Leave me alone, Mr. Luthor,” she whispered.

Lionel smirked and looked toward the guards. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Miss Sullivan, but we really do need to get down to business. Guards.”

Her eyes flew open as the restraints on her arms and legs were released and a large, buff man with dark eyes picked her up none too gently.

“Take her to the lab.”

A sob choked her. No, she thought, struggling weakly against the arms around her. No, anything but that. The man’s grip tightened around her, pressing painfully against her ribcage as he carried her down the hallway. He deposited her on a cold metal table, quickly strapping her down to it.

“It didn’t have to be this way.”

She shut her eyes, trying to close out the sound of Lex’s voice near her ear.

“You’ve always chosen to take the hard road, Chloe. This could have been so much easier. So much less painful.” He touched her cheek and she tried to pull away, but the restraints didn’t allow for it.

He looked up at the scientists who were gathered around eagerly, looking at Chloe like she was nothing more than a mystery they needed to solve as soon as possible. “Get started.” Lex moved away from the table and stood by his father a few feet away.

A smirk curled his lips as he watched one of the scientists begin to hook up wires and electrodes to her bare skin.

Chloe knew what was coming next as she heard the high-pitched sound of electricity. She tried to brace herself for the pain, but even the knowledge of what was to come wasn’t enough to keep her from screaming as the shock ran through her, her body arching off the table involuntarily.

Tears leaking from her eyes, she tried to catch her breath before the next wave of pain flooded her, this one even more intense.

“It’s time to move to phase two,” she heard someone say, but she was far too weak and in far too much pain to even open her eyes.

“Are you sure she’s ready for that?” Lionel asked, raising his eyebrow at the lead scientist.

“She’s nearly unconscious. Now is the perfect time to attempt to access her power.”

“Very well.”

She was dimly aware of someone sliding something over her face, something that made her world even darker than it already was. And then pain shot through her head as if someone was trying to pry her skull open with their bare hands.

Chloe tried to scream.

But this time her voice was gone.

* * *

The sound of a pained scream woke Dean from a restless sleep. Instantly on guard, he shot out of bed, flipping on the light only to find his little brother on the floor, clutching his head.

Son of a bitch.

“Sammy? You all right?” He quickly knelt down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and looking at him worriedly.

Sam winced, his face pale. “I think so.” He swallowed hard, still looking pained.

Dean quickly moved to the bathroom, grabbing a glass of water and the bottle of aspirin. “What’d you see?”

Sam gratefully took the pain relievers, popping three in his mouth and drinking them down with a gulp of water. “Some kind of monster. Big, ugly. Has wings.”

“Where?” he pressed, setting the glass on the nightstand.

“Outside the Talon. It’s gonna kill people, Dean. A lot of people.”

Dean’s lips were set in a grim line. “Guess we won’t be leaving tomorrow after all.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Christ, what the hell was that thing, Sam?” Dean panted for breath, leaning over and pressing his hands against his knees, sweat rolling down his face, mingling with the blood that stained his cheek.

“I have no idea. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Sam stared at the carcass of the demon with morbid fascination. He wiped his forehead off with his shirtsleeve, releasing a breath and feeling nauseous. They’d managed to distract the thing in its attack of a pretty red-head, who screamed and ran away into the night. Managed to kill it before it killed anyone else.

And they both watched in shock as it suddenly vanished into thin air.

“What the hell is going on!” Dean kicked the parking meter in fury, raking a hand through his hair.

“You got me,” he whispered, leaning heavily against the Impala.

“You all right, little brother?” He moved closer to Sam, grimacing at the slash across Sam’s right shoulder.

“Yeah. Fine. Just a scratch. What kind of demon disappears when it dies?”

Dean blew out a frustrated breath. “I think it’s time to hit the research.”

“Good idea.” Sam swallowed hard and slowly climbed into the passenger seat of the car. He had a sinking feeling they wouldn’t be leaving Smallville anytime soon.

* * *

“It’s dead, Sir.”

“Excuse me?” Lex looked up from his desk to see one of his employees standing in front of him, looking nervous.

“The demon is dead. Two men--I don’t know who they were--killed it.”

“Well, that’s very disconcerting.” He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together under his chin and looking contemplative.

“The team is working on their identities as we speak, Mr. Luthor.”

He nodded slightly. “Dismissed.”

The man turned and left.

Lex pressed a button on his computer, pulling up images of the monster on his screen, a pleased smile spreading across his face. He printed them out and picked up his phone.

“Yes?”

“Prepare Ms. Sullivan. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes, Mr. Luthor.”

Lex hung up the phone, grabbed the vivid pictures and smirked as he headed for the door.

* * *

“Nothing. There’s nothing to be found. No damn trace of a demon disappearing when it dies--it’s never even been heard of outside of Buffy the Vampire Slayer!” Sam sighed, sitting back in his chair and staring blankly at the screen of his computer.

“Yeah, Bobby never heard such a thing either.” Dean sat down on the edge of his bed. “Huh.”

“Maybe the meteor rocks have something to do with it.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe we should talk to Clark Kent again.”

Sam shook his head. “We don’t want him to get suspicious.” He was silent for a moment. “Maybe we should try to get a hold of Chloe.”

“And how are we supposed to do that, Genius? She left town.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Clark said she sent him an email. Maybe we can email her and…” He shrugged, moving back to his computer and typing up a quick letter before hitting send.

“Ten bucks says she doesn’t respond.”

He sighed and rose to his feet. “I’m gonna get a shower.” He headed toward the bathroom, leaving Dean in the main room alone.

“Been here twenty-four hours and already I hate this town,” Dean grumbled.

* * *

Chloe’s body sagged as the guards deposited her in a stiff, metal chair, immediately securing her hands to the arms of it, her feet to the legs. The thin hospital gown she wore did little to keep her body from shivering in the cold air.

“Hello, Chloe.”

She shut her eyes tightly against the sound of Lex’s self-satisfied voice. She heard a loud scraping sound that made her wince--the sound of another metal chair being dragged across the floor. His knees pressed against her own and she swallowed hard.

“I have something to show you.” When she didn’t immediately open her eyes, he reached out and scraped his nails roughly down her arm, making her cry out. “I said I have something to show you.”

Shuddering, Chloe opened her eyes reluctantly, swallowing back the fear and exhaustion as best she could as she stared blankly at the picture he held up for her to see.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” He smiled, holding up another shot of the creature, all teeth and claws, and winged. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a snake.  
Her eyes were filled with confusion. “What is that?” she whispered, shaking her head a little.

“Your creation, of course.” His smile widened a little and the next picture he held up for her was a picture of a bleeding, broken child on the ground, dead.

A soft cry escaped her and she looked away, horrified.

“And this was the result. Well, one small part of it, anyway. Fifteen all together. Attacked a kindergarten class early this morning.” He moved another picture in front of her face, forcing her to look at more dead children.

A tear leaked out of her eye. “I didn’t do that,” she whispered.

“Sweet, naïve, Chloe.” Lex set the pictures down and rested a hand on her bare leg. “Of course you did. That’s your power. Utter destruction,” he whispered against her ear. “You created this monster. This beautiful monster.”

Chloe shuddered, shutting her eyes as she felt his hot breath against her skin.

“And you’re going to keep on creating them.”

“I won’t,” she whispered, shaking her head.

“You don’t have a choice. It was an image we planted in your mind during your treatment yesterday. Tonight…tonight will be something even better. Something invulnerable.” He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. “Something made entirely of meteor rocks. Indestructible.”

She felt all the air leave her lungs as it began to sink in. He was going to go after Clark, and he was going to use her to do it. “No,” she whispered, her eyes pleading. “No, please.”

Lex gazed at her intently, searching her eyes. “There is one alternative.”

She dropped her head, staring at the concrete floor through blurry eyes.

“It’s up to you. Your dignity…or the lives of everyone you’ve ever loved. Countless innocent people, children, babies…” He smiled, knowing he had her exactly where he wanted her. “Death caused by your own mind.”

Another tear streaked down her cheek. “I’ll do it.” Her whisper was strained, broken. “Just don’t make me hurt anyone else.”

Lex smiled triumphantly. “Wise decision.” He nodded at the guards, who undid the restraints on the chair. “Tomorrow night, then.”

She flinched, feeling sick as the guards pulled her to her feet. She just wanted to get it over with. “Why not now?”

His smile widened and he reached out and touched her face. “Wouldn’t want it to be over with so quickly, now would we? I want you to have some time to anticipate it. Because after I’m through with you, you’ll never be the same,” he whispered against her ear. “Besides, tomorrow’s your most fertile day of the month.”


	6. Chapter 6

“This is impossible. There’s nothing here.” Dean threw his hands up in frustration, shoving aside his books and looking at where Sam sat at his computer. “Tell me you have something.”

Sam rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I wish I could. But I’m coming up empty, too.”

“Shit.” He slammed a book shut and rose to his feet, slowly beginning to pace the room.

“We may as well try and get some sleep. We’ve been at this for two days and my head’s killing me.”

“Yeah. You go ahead. I’m gonna go for a drive.” Dean headed for the door.

Sam sighed and watched him go. “Watch your back.”

“Always.” He smirked and disappeared.

* * *

Chloe lay on the gurney, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. The mattress beneath her was cold and hard. She flinched at the sound of the door opening and closing a moment later, footsteps approaching the bed. She closed her eyes, her stomach twisting with utter dread.

Please, God, just let it be over quick, she thought, feeling sick.

“Can you hear me?” a vaguely familiar voice whispered.

She opened her eyes to see the guard, James, standing over her, looking nervous. “Yes,” she whispered back, her heart pounding heavily in her chest.

He swallowed hard, his gaze darting toward the door. He quickly undid the restraints on her wrists, and then the ones binding her ankles.

“What are you doing?” There was confusion in her eyes, mixed in with hope.

“There’s not much time. When you leave the room, turn right and run. There’s an exit that leads into Spitler Woods. I can buy you a few minutes, but that’s all we’ve got. You have to hurry,” he said urgently. He quickly helped her sit up.

Chloe winced as her feet hit the floor, her legs unsteady. “Thank you,” she whispered, near tears.

James smiled, but it was nervous. “Just get somewhere safe. And then get the hell away from Smallville.” He helped her to the door, where he stepped out into the hallway and looked around. “Clear. Go!”

Biting down hard on her lower lip, she turned right and hobbled down the hallway as best she could, moving as fast as she could.

She didn’t look back.

* * *

Dean clutched onto the steering wheel of his Impala as he drove down the dark country road, glancing occasionally at the line of trees that paved the side of the road. Despite the demon that they’d killed a couple days before, Smallville was relatively quiet and peaceful at night.

Of course, looks were always deceiving, and no sooner did he think it than he spotted a figure dart onto the road.

“F*ck!” He slammed his foot down hard on the brake, the car a mere two inches from having hit the person. He sat shaken behind the wheel, staring in confusion at the frightened young woman who stood in front of his car, looking disheveled and distraught. Quickly throwing the car into park, he reached for the door handle and climbed out of the driver’s seat.

“Please,” she whispered, taking a step away from him, away from the car. He could see her feet and legs were covered in cuts, bruises. In blood. She was barefoot, wearing nothing but a thin hospital gown. “Please don’t hurt me.”

“I won’t,” Dean said without hesitation, holding his hands up. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

“I have to get out of here before they find me.” Her gaze darted nervously toward the woods she’d run out of.

He had no idea who ‘they’ were, but she was obviously in some kind of trouble. And rescuing people was his job. “It’s all right. I’ll get you out of here.” Dean stretched a hand out toward her and watched her hesitate. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”

The petite blonde slowly slid her hand into his and he grimaced at how cold it was. He wondered how long she’d been outside in the cold weather. “Come on.” He shrugged out of his jacket and wound it around her shoulders, leading her to the passenger side of his car and opening the door for her. He saw the pain flicker across her face as slowly slid into the car and he wondered what the hell had happened to her.

Dean quickly moved back around to the driver’s seat and got in, throwing the Impala into gear. “Are you all right? I should get you to a hospital.”

“No!” The fear in her voice was almost palpable. “He’ll find me. Please, just get me out of here.”

“What’s after you, Sweetheart?” he asked with worry as he gripped the steering wheel.

“It’s a who,” she whispered, slowly leaning back against the seat.

“All right, who’s after you?”

She hesitated a moment, her body growing tense once more. Her fingers tightened into a fist. “Lex Luthor.”

His eyes widened and he looked at her sideways. He got the impression if he didn’t respond exactly right to this test, she wouldn’t hesitate to throw herself right out the car door. “I heard he’s one nasty son of a bitch.”

Something between a sob and a laugh escaped her. “That doesn’t begin to cover it.”

The urge to reach out to her and put a hand on her arm to comfort her was strong, but he resisted. He had no idea what she’d been through, and the bandages and cuts across her arms and wrists offered him no reassurances. “My name’s Dean. Dean Winchester. What’s yours?” His voice was quiet. Sam was so much better at this quiet, compassionate crap than he was.

“Chloe,” she whispered, her voice strained. “Chloe Sullivan.”


	7. Chapter 7

The last thing Sam expected when his brother returned was to see a pretty blonde cradled in his arms. His eyes widened and he quickly rose to his feet. “Dean? What the--”

“Shh.” Dean hushed him and carefully, gently laid her down on the empty bed nearest the door.

Her face was deathly pale, and bruised, her lower lip split open. Her eyes were shut, her breathing a little ragged.

Dean looked at his brother grimly. “This is Chloe Sullivan,” he said in hushed tones.

“What?” Sam stared at him. “What the hell happened to her? I thought she was out of town!”

He gave his brother a look. “Go get the first aid kit, College Boy. I’ll explain when you get back.”

Sam mentally smacked himself and quickly headed for the bathroom, retrieving the first aid kit, along with a cool wet wash cloth and a couple of large towels. He returned to the bed, sitting down on the opposite side from his brother, worry clouding his eyes. He was startled to realize Dean looked just as worried.

“What did this to her?” he whispered. “Was it another demon?” He gently dabbed the washcloth against her forehead, wiping off a trickle of blood. “And why didn’t you take her to the hospital?”

“It wasn’t a demon. It was a monster. And I didn’t take her to the hospital because it’d be too easy to track her down.”

“So you think this monster’s gonna come after her again?” Sam glanced at him.

“I’d say that’s a pretty good bet.”

“I should start researching. What did it look like?”

“Tall, bald, rich. Goes by the name of Lex Luthor.”

Sam stared at him open-mouthed. “What?”

“Apparently he’s had her locked up all this time. She never left town at all.” Dean gently wrapped a bandage around her upper arm where there was a large, bloody scrape.

“Jesus,” he whispered, sickened. He shifted his gaze to her legs, which were bare and covered in angry red scratches. Her feet were even worse off, bleeding in several places.

Dean glanced at her feet as well. “She was running barefoot in the woods. Ran right in front of me. I almost hit her with the car.”

“She’s hurt bad,” Sam murmured. He gently began to clean the wounds on her feet and cover them in Band-aids.

“I know.”

The brothers worked in tandem, patching up each of her injuries as quickly and gently as possible.

“Dean, we should call Clark. He should know what’s going on.”

He was silent for a moment. “And what if Clark’s phone’s tapped?”

Sam’s heart sank a little. Dean was right. “One of us should go over there and get him.”

“I’ll go. You stay with her.” He rose to his feet, grabbing his keys once more and heading for the door.

“Yeah, okay.” He watched his brother leave once more, then gazed down worriedly at the unconscious blonde. Without thinking about it, he reached out and gently tucked some hair behind her ear, wondering what the hell kind of sick person Lex Luthor must be to capable of harming this woman. “It’s okay,” he murmured, gently laying the washcloth over her forehead. “You’re safe now, Chloe. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

* * *

“What do you mean, she escaped?” Lex’s voice was tense, his gaze boring into James eyes.

He swallowed nervously. “I don’t know how…when I came to do rounds, she was just gone, Mr. Luthor.”

“It was your job to watch her. I’m very displeased, James.”

“As am I.” Lionel appeared in the doorway. “Because from what I just saw, you actually set her free.” His gaze was cold.

“Is that true?” Lex asked, his eyes narrowing.

James didn’t answer, his gaze dropping guiltily to the floor.

“Well that’s really too bad,” he said quietly, pulling a gun from his jacket pocket and aiming it at James’ head.

“Please. I have a family,” James whispered, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be seeing them again very soon.”

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

Clark recognized the sound of the Impala as it pulled up his darkened driveway and he slowly descended the stairs, heading out onto the porch warily.

Only Dean climbed from the car, a grim expression on his face. “I need you to come with me.”

“Excuse me?”  
“Your friend Chloe. She didn’t leave town. Lex Luthor’s had her all this time. She’s hurt pretty bad.”

Clark stared at him in disbelief, and opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.

“She wouldn’t let me take her to the hospital, so she’s back at our room with Sammy.” He hitched his thumb toward the Impala. “Get in and I’ll take you to her.”

Without hesitating, Clark quickly moved to the passenger seat of the Impala, his heart beating heavily in his chest. Let her be okay, he thought.

* * *

Chloe awoke slowly, her body warmer than it had felt in ages. Her eyebrows furrowing, she rolled her head to one side. Being able to move her arms and legs was an unexpected experience and a soft whimper escaped her. She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid she may see Lex or Lionel hovering over her ominously.

Maybe she was already dead.

“Hey,” a soft, unfamiliar voice whispered.

She stiffened instantly, trying to prepare herself for the worst possible scenario.

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s okay, Chloe. You’re safe. You escaped, remember? My brother found you on the road and brought you back here.” The voice was warm, gentle. Almost soothing.

Chloe slowly opened her eyes, swallowing hard. She found herself gazing into the pair of warmest hazel eyes she’d ever seen. Her eyebrows furrowed once more. “What…”

“My name’s Sam,” he said gently. “Sam Winchester.”

Distantly the last name rang a bell, though she couldn’t place why at the moment. “Where are we?” she asked weakly, trying to lift her head.

“Easy,” Sam murmured. “We’re at the Smallville Inn. Dean went to go get your friend Clark.”

“Clark,” she repeated, her eyes drifting shut once more. She swallowed hard, unable to believe she was actually safe.

Sam gently dabbed the cool rag against her cheek.

Burning with fever, she turned her head toward the coolness, a soft sigh escaping her.

He swallowed hard as he continued to try and keep her face cooled down. She looked so fragile he wished he could take her in his arms and comfort her. “So uh…Dean and I were actually looking for you,” he admitted in a soft whisper.

“Me? Why?” The confusion in her strained voice was clear.

“Well, we read some of your articles online. They were really interesting.”

“Oh.” Chloe was silent for a moment. “Do you normally track down writers from the internet to have a chat?”

Sam chuckled involuntarily. He hadn’t expected the snarky question. “Uh, no. You were an exception. Your writing was fantastic. Riveting, even.”

Despite her pain and misery, a small smile tugged at her lips.

“One day I bet you’ll earn a Pulitzer.”

The smile faded from her lips and she closed her eyes again. “I won’t live that long.”


	8. Chapter 8

By the time Dean and Clark arrived at the motel, Chloe had managed to climb off the bed and stumble into the bathroom with a little help from Sam, who gave her one of his shirts to wear. It was longer than the hospital gown, and much warmer, though her legs were still uncomfortably bare. She was pretty sure none of his jeans would fit her.

“Better?” he asked softly as she emerged from the bathroom, still looking haunted and on edge.

“Thanks,” she whispered, nodding a little and freezing when she saw the doorknob turning.

“Easy. It’s just Dean coming back.” He gently wound an arm around her shoulders.

She unconsciously shifted closer to him, as though ready to use him as a shield if it were someone other than his brother and Clark.

“Sammy?” Dean stepped inside, Clark at his heels.

“Chloe!” Clark quickly moved around the elder Winchester, his eyes wide as his gaze swept over her, shock registering on his face. “Oh my God.”

She flinched a little, not meeting his gaze.

“How ya doing?” Dean asked quietly, hanging back.

Chloe looked up at him. “I’m alive,” she whispered. For now.

Exchanging a look with his brother, Dean motioned toward the door. “We’re gonna run out and grab some food. We’ll be back.”

Sam hesitated a moment, looking down at Chloe. “We won’t be far.”

“Thanks.” Her voice was soft and she watched as they headed out the door, leaving her alone in the room with Clark.

He approached her, his face still registering shock at the sight of the state she was in. “What…what happened to you?” he whispered.

She was silent for a moment, slowly wrapping her arms around herself and still not meeting his gaze. “Lex Luthor,” she said dully.

“Chloe, what did he do to you? Has he had you all this time?”

“Yes.” She shut her eyes.

He stared at her. “But…you called. And…you sent me an email.”

“Lex made me call so you wouldn’t be suspicious. And I never sent you an email. I haven’t seen a computer in weeks, Clark.” Her voice was tired.

“This whole thing was one big setup.” The truth began to sink in slowly and Clark leaned against the wall. “How did he take you, Chloe? Where were you? What happened?”

Her head was already pounding with all the questions and she slowly moved to sit down on the bed. “He didn’t…exactly take me. I went with him.” Her voice was strained.

Clark shook his head. “Why would you do that? After everything--”

“Because I killed Lois!” A sob escaped her and she buried her face in her hands.

“What? What are you talking about? Lois isn’t dead. Chloe, you’re not making any sense.” He slowly moved over and sat down beside her.

“I saw her, Clark. She was dead on the floor. Because of my powers. I can’t control them.” Tears streaked down her cheeks.

Clark hesitantly put an arm around her, drawing her close. “Tell me what happened.”

She quickly filled him in on her ability to create things just by thinking about them. About the creature she’d summoned in a dream without even realizing it, how it had attacked and killed her cousin before Lex stopped it.

“Chloe.” His voice was barely audible. “That didn’t happen. Look at me.” He gently put a hand under her chin. “Lois isn’t dead. She’s fine. You didn’t do anything to hurt her. I just saw her a few hours ago.”

“But…” She stared at him with blurry eyed confusion.

“Lex must have drugged you. Maybe planted some kind of hypnotic suggestion that made you believe that so you’d go with him.” His eyes were sad. Guilt washed over him as he gently pulled her closer. “I should’ve known something was wrong.”

Chloe buried her face against his shoulder, a soft sob escaping her. She clutched his shirt. “She’s really okay?”

“She’s fine, Chloe. I swear to you. Lois is safe.” She cried softly against him as he held her, anger and fear vying for control of his emotions. “You’re hurt.”

“It coulda been worse.” She didn’t look up at him.

He wasn’t sure how, but he didn’t want to press her for details. Another thought occurred to him and he tensed involuntarily.

“What is it?” she whispered.

Clark swallowed hard. “I have to tell Lana. I have to get her away from him before it’s too late.”

Despite the hurt she felt, she knew he was right. “Go.” She pressed her hands against his chest and gently pushed him away.

“Chloe--”

“Clark, go. Make sure Lana’s safe. Get her away from him,” she whispered tiredly. “Don’t let her go back.”

He gazed at her with worried eyes. “I won’t. I promise.” He kissed the top of her head and slowly rose to his feet.

“Hurry, Clark,” Chloe whispered, slowly lying down on the bed and pressing her face against the pillow.

Clark took one last look at her, then sped away.

* * *

The sight that greeted Dean as he returned to the room a short while later both angered him and frightened him a little. Sam wasn’t back, Clark was gone, and Chloe lay curled up on the bed, crying softly into the pillow.

Crap.

Swallowing hard, he looked out the door, hoping to catch sight of his little brother, who was much better at dealing with crying women than he was. Realizing he was out of luck on that one, he slowly shut the door behind him, announcing his presence quietly so as not to frighten her. “Hey, I’m back. Brought some food. You like peanut M&Ms?”

She slowly struggled to sit up and then pain that flashed across her pale features made him wince.

He slowly made his way over to the bed, holding out the bag to her.

“Thanks,” she whispered, hesitantly taking one and popping it into her mouth.

“I’m sure Sammy’ll bring back actual good food. You look like you could use some.”

That was somewhat of an understatement. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a decent meal. For the most part they’d fed her stale cereal and not a lot of it. Her stomach growled hungrily and she looked down in embarrassment.

Dean smiled a little, and handed her the bag. “You need these more than I do.”

She swallowed hard, slowly taking the bag from him.

“This Luthor guy really did a number on you, didn’t he?” His voice was quiet, and he hesitantly touched her bruised cheek.

Chloe flinched, but didn’t respond.

“Yeah. I sorta suck at this whole sharing and caring thing. Not my forte. Sammy, though…sometimes I think he shoulda been a girl the way he likes to talk and crap.”

She looked at him sideways, a very tiny, amused smile forming on her lips.

“Seriously. In twenty-four hours I guarantee he’ll suggest we all watch Steel Magnolias over ice cream.”

A short, soft chuckle escaped her.

Dean grinned at the fact he’d gotten her to laugh. She had a pretty smile, even behind all the cuts and bruises. “Where’d Kent go, anyway?”

The smile faded and he cursed himself inwardly.

“To help a friend,” she said quietly.

“I think he already had one to help.”

“I’m safe.”

“Are you?”

She winced, slowly setting down the bag of M&Ms. No, she wasn’t. She never would be again. Lex would hunt her down no matter where she went or what she did. There was no safe. Not anymore.

“Sorry, it’s just…from what I know about this bastard, he’s relentless.”

“Yes, he is,” she whispered, shutting her eyes.

Dean was silent for a moment. “Look, my brother and me…we help people. It’s sorta what we do for a living. And we’re gonna help you. We’re gonna make sure you’re safe, all right?”

She tried to smile but didn’t quite manage it. When she spoke again, her voice was sad, drained. “There’s only one way to help me.”

He gazed at her intently. “How’s that?”

Swallowing hard, she shifted her gaze to meet his. “Kill me.”


	9. Chapter 9

As predicted, when Sam returned moments later, he was carrying a large bag of groceries from the store where he'd stopped. He stepped inside the room, quickly locking the door behind him and immediately looking at where Chloe sat on the bed, her knees pulled to her chest, phone pressed against her ear.

Dean was standing across the room, leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. There was an expression of concern in his features that Sam wasn't used to seeing very often.

"Hey." He set the bag of groceries on the table and offered Chloe a small smile before moving to his brother's side. "Where's Clark?"

His jaw tensed a little. "He left to go help someone else."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed and he looked over at Chloe, and then back at Dean. "He just left her?"

Dean exhaled, not looking at him. "She says she told him to go. Some other chick they're friends with is apparently married to Lex Luthor."

He blinked, startled by that revelation. "Why the hell would anyone wanna marry someone like that?"

"Do I look like I'm the psychic one?" Dean pushed himself away from the wall. "Look, I don't know." There was agitation in his voice.

"Dean. What aren't you saying?"

He cast a glance at Chloe, whose face was still unnaturally pale, exhaustion clear in her eyes. "Let's step outside."

Frowning, Sam followed his brother out into the parking lot. "What's going on?"

"Sam, she has powers."

He stared at his brother. "Wait, what? What kind of powers? Are you saying she's like me?" His voice dropped, his eyes wide.

"No. Hers apparently come from the meteor rocks. But she's not in control of them and…" Dean looked away.

"And what?"

"That demon we killed. She created it."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's her power. She can create things by thinking about it. That demon? Came from her mind."

He was silent for a long moment. "How do you know for sure?"

"Because she described it. In detail. It was the same thing, Sammy."

Sam raked a hand through his hair, feeling overwhelmed.

"Here's the screwed up part--they made her do it."

"Lex Luthor?"

"And his scientists, and his father. They planted images in her brain after torturing her. She was barely conscious. She had no idea what was happening. Luthor told her the demon killed a class of kindergarten kids."

"Dean, if that had happened, we would've heard about it."

"I know. It didn't happen at all. We killed it before it hurt anyone. But she's not convinced."

Sam stared at the closed motel door, feeling an odd sense of kinship with the fragile woman on the other side. "So what do we do?"

Dean looked at the ground. "She said the only way to help her would be to kill her."

He winced and shook his head. "No. We're not gonna kill her."

"No sh*t, Sherlock," Dean responded, giving him a dirty look. "But since both of you seem to think you're inherently evil and have a death wish, maybe you can talk to her."

"Right," Sam murmured. "Yeah. I'll talk to her." He slowly reached for the door handle and pulled it open, stepping back inside the room once more, just as Chloe was hanging up the phone.

"You're back," she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself as though the simple act would help her disappear.

"Yeah. I brought food. Soup and crackers and some sandwiches from the deli. I didn't know what you liked." He pulled a sandwich from the bag and slowly moved to sit down beside her, handing it over to her.

"Thanks," she whispered, slowly unwrapping it and taking a bite.

He watched her for a moment. "Dean told me what's going on."

Chloe dropped her gaze, nodding very slightly. "Good."

"We're not gonna kill you, Chloe." Sam's voice was soft.

"Then you can't help me."

"That's not true." He shifted on the bed so his back was beside hers against the headboard. "I know what it's like to think you're dangerous. That everyone around you will get hurt or killed if you're around them."

"How can you possibly understand what that's like?" she whispered almost inaudibly.

Sam was quiet for a few seconds. Then he turned his head to look at her. "Because I have powers, too. And I can't control them, and other people like me who've had these powers have turned evil and hurt people. A lot of people." He swallowed hard.

Chloe turned her head, a surprised look on her face as she met his gaze. "What powers?"

"That I know of so far…I have visions. Of people in trouble. And I can move things with my mind."

"Telekinesis," she murmured.

"I never know when they're going to flare or up or if I'll end up hurting someone when they do."

"How do you live with that?" Her voice was strained. "How do you…how do you deal with the fact you might become something…"

"Evil?" he finished.

Chloe nodded wordlessly.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "It's not easy. I keep thinking maybe if I save enough people, kill enough demons…maybe I won't lose myself. But the truth is, I'm terrified."

A tear dripped down her cheek and she hesitated a moment before resting her head against his shoulder, surprising him.

Sam closed his eyes, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Chloe, what happened…it wasn't your fault. Lex Luthor knew about your abilities and he used them against you."

"Kids are dead because of me," she whispered. "He showed me the pictures, Sam."

Anger flooded him, his jaw tightening. "I swear to you it's not true. Dean and I stopped that thing before it hurt anyone, Chloe."

She shut her eyes, feeling lost, but a little less alone.

Without thinking about it, he pressed a kiss against her hair. "I don't know what happened to you. What they did to you. But from everything I've heard, you're a good person," he whispered.

"Maybe. But what happens when the day comes that I'm not anymore? Or if I can't get control over this freaky mind conjuring crap? People will die because of me."

Unable to help himself, he gently wound an arm around her, pulling her a little closer and gently rubbing her back. "Maybe we can figure out how to get control of these powers," he murmured. "Maybe we do get to choose our own destinies."

Standing silently in the doorway, Dean smiled faintly.


	10. Chapter 10

“I don’t like this.” Clark folded his arms across his chest and watched as Chloe packed a few of her things into a bag.

“I know you don’t,” she whispered, closing her laptop and sliding it into the bag as well. “It’s better this way, Clark. Lex isn’t going to stop looking for me. And the first place he’ll look is anywhere you are.” She turned to face him, her eyes sad.

“I can protect you from Lex and Lionel.”

She gazed at him. “And what happens if you can’t protect me from myself? What if…I end up doing something to hurt someone, Clark? Even if it’s not intentional. There’s something in me that I can’t control and it’s dangerous.”

“So what, you’re just gonna run off with a couple of strangers? How’s that gonna help, Chloe? They don‘t even know you.” He shook his head.

Chloe tucked some hair behind her ear. “Let’s just say they have a very firm understanding of the bizarre.”

Clark closed his eyes. “Chloe--”

“I’m sorry, Clark. My mind’s made up. I have to go.”

“You don’t have to,” he whispered. “I can help you.”

Her eyes were sad. “No you can’t. As much as you want to, you can’t.”

“And these guys can?”

She bit her lower lip. “I hope so.” Swallowing hard, she moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly.

Clark embraced her back, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. “If you need me--”

“I’ll call,” she promised. Tears blurring her vision, she slowly pulled away. “Take care of Lois and Lana. Don’t let Lex near them. Please.”

“I won’t. I promise.” He kissed her forehead, tears prickling at his own eyes. “Take care of yourself.”

She offered him a watery smile and moved to get her bag. “I always do.”

* * *

“You ready?” Dean glanced sideways at Chloe, who sat in the passenger seat of the Impala. He looked in the rearview at his little brother, whose own demeanor had seemed lighter then he could remember it being for a long time. As if he finally had someone to share the burden of his situation with, someone who really understood.

They all three did and it bound them together quickly. Chloe may not be blood relation, but she was one of them now.

“I’m ready,” she whispered, leaning back against the seat.

Dean slid his sunglasses on and shifted the car into gear. He couldn’t wait to get as far away from Smallville, Kansas, as they could.


	11. Chapter 11

“Time for bed..”

The cold, eerily familiar voice made her shudder involuntarily and she sank farther into the cushions of the sofa in the common room, staring intently at the television. At the two men who watched as a woman who had never really been there at all vanished right before their eyes.

“Come along, Miss Sullivan. It’s bed time,” he whispered hotly against her ear. “TV time’s over for the night.” He pulled on her upper arm, dragging her into a standing position. His cold gray eyes swept over her appraisingly.

A familiar numbness settled upon her as the man led her back to her small room, locking her wrists into place with the restraints above her head.

“Ready to try again?” He smiled and she shut her eyes, feeling his weight press her into the mattress, his greedy hands so familiar and horrible. She knew Lex would be in as soon as he was finished.

Chloe drifted into her mind once more as Lionel moved on top of her, hurting her. She heard Sam Winchester's gentle voice against her ear.

_“Hope’s kind of the whole point.”_


End file.
